


Taming the Mad King

by Andrada (ScarletteLyn)



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, I love her, Lindsay is just a super bamf, M/M, Multi, SO MUCH FLUFF, Scenting, alpha!Geoff, alpha!Ryan, alpha!michael, also ryan's mom, bc why the fuck not, beta!Jack, beta!Lindsay, eventually, mavin is implied, mostly raywood, omega!Gavin, omega!Ray, she likes to cause trouble, she's like the greatest thing since sliced bread, will get smutty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-25
Updated: 2015-10-28
Packaged: 2018-02-26 23:14:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 9,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2669993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletteLyn/pseuds/Andrada
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray and Ryan are brought together by a car ride home and two conniving coworkers who shouldn't really be left alone. This follows their adventures together and maybe some Mavin if I feel like it on the side. 99% Raywood though. </p><p>I don't know where this ship came from. But I love it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Ride Home

                Being an omega in an office with only a handful of other omegas wasn’t incredibly comfortable for Ray. Especially since the one near him was already taken and no one dared to upset his alpha. Gavin was really well liked, but his mate Michael was a more violent type of alpha. He was just a more violent guy, something Gavin claimed was his favourite part of the man... In certain, sexual, circumstances. The only real reason Ray knew was because he’d seen Gavin shirtless. When the Hispanic asked about the myriad of bruises on the Brit, Gav gave him a dopey grin and told him he’d asked for them. Ever since, Ray has avoided most sex related topics with his friend.

                Sure they weren’t the only two omegas in the whole place. Kerry was one but also taken. Chris was one of the few others but again, he had a mate. Ray was only one of two single omegas in the entire office, the other being some girl in accounting and it was not a good feeling. The alphas stared at him as he walked through the office, going about his daily routine. Thank god Geoff was there to look out for him and threaten any other alphas who wanted to steal his employee.

“You’ll find a mate soon enough X Ray!” Gavin told him happily. “And he’ll be the luckiest guy.”

“Thanks for the faith Vav,” Ray sighed. “But I just... I don’t know man. Isn’t it supposed to feel different or whatever?”

“Not always,” the Brit replied. “Sure it was like that with me and Michael but sometimes you just have to date around and see if that feeling develops. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

“That it was not,” Ray turned back to his work with the same depressed attitude as before.

                Ray ended up staying late at the office. He didn’t care very much since it wasn’t the most dangerous place he could’ve been at the time. Either way, he was at least being productive. All of the other Achievement Hunters had left for the night, or so Ray thought. He was getting ready to leave and walk home when Ryan suddenly appeared.

“Hey Ray,” the alpha smiled warmly. “Want a ride home?”

“If you don’t mind, that’d actually be great,” Ray returned the smile.

“No problem Ray.”

Ryan had always been nice to him, never even cracking jokes about omegas when Ray was around. He was understanding and it was a nice change from the usual alphas. The older man respected him and knew he wasn’t exactly comfortable with the surplus of alphas that worked in the office. Ray often hung around with the betas or other omegas, even if he didn’t get along with others like him very often. He could fake it pretty well. Ryan saw right through it on occasion but never said anything. He was probably the Hispanic’s favourite alpha in the office.

“So you were finishing up some work?” Ryan made small talk on the way to Ray’s.

“Yeah,” The smaller man nodded. “Jack needed some help editing so he can go to Australia next week.”

“That’s nice of you!” Ryan said happily.

“It’s not like it’s hard work,” Ray smirked and told Ryan how to get into the parking lot of his complex.

“Jeez Ray, this is sketchy as hell,” Ryan said as he pulled up to the staircase. “How much is rent here?”

“Uh they pay me actually,” the Hispanic joked, earning a deep laugh from his coworker. “Nah, it’s fine. Plus it is really cheap.”

“Well don’t get murdered okay?” Ryan looked worried as Ray hopped out.

“I’m not the one they’ll be looking to kill Ry,” Ray chuckled. “I can put on a bandana and blend in. You, not so much.”

“See you tomorrow Ray,” Ryan bade the omega goodbye before leaving.

                Ray climbed his stairs lazily and noticed that the people outside weren’t staring and sniffing at him like usual. It must have been because he had been in Ryan’s car and smelled like the alpha. He smiled faintly as he unlocked his door and walked inside his apartment. It wasn’t until he was out of the wind that he noticed how much he actually smelled like Ryan. He smelled like pine trees and autumn air with the tiniest hint of something smoky. It was intoxicating.

                Still, Ray took a shower and heated up some leftover pizza before settling into his living room to play some Call of Duty. After a half hour of shooting people, the smell from his clothes had floated into his living room and Ray was surrounded in Ryan’s scent again. During a break to grab a bottle of water, Ray had to go investigate if it was really the clothes he had in his laundry hamper. Sure enough, it was the scent from Ryan’s truck. He expected to wrinkle his nose at it but ended up absently grabbing his sweater and taking it back with him to the living room.


	2. The Lunch and Plotting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five idiots go to lunch, leaving the two worst people together in the office.

                The omega played well into the night, to the point where Ryan’s smell had worn off his hoodie because he’d been wearing it for so long. Somehow, he managed to drag himself into bed. The next morning, Ray was surprisingly less tired than he thought he would be. He made his way out and down the street to the office, excited about something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He found out, however, when he strolled into the Achievement Hunter office. Everyone else was already there and the scents were a little overwhelming at first until he sniffed out a familiar one. The pine, smoke and crispness filled Ray’s lungs and he had to do his best not to jump on the alpha.

                All the guys said hi before turning back to their work and Ray sat down, fidgeting to try and take his mind off of the smell. It was like the only thing he could inhale. They managed to record a few Let’s Play episodes and even a couple episodes of Go before taking a real break. Sure, they’d stopped to get food and water and bathroom breaks but nothing too extensive. Before they knew it, it was almost 3 in the afternoon and a bunch of the guys were talking about going out to get food.

“Hey Ray you wanna come with?” Jack asked. “We’re going to Kirby’s.”

“Yeah sure,” The omega was too hungry to turn down the promise of food.

“Well let’s go then!” Michael and Ryan jumped up, the latter grabbing Ray and dragging him along with their insanity.

“Jeez, someone’s eager,” Ray joked, watching Ryan laugh and let go of his arm.

“You underestimate the appetite of alphas,” Ryan chuckled and unlocked his truck.

                The alpha couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have the small man in his truck again. His vanilla-cinnamon scent had kept Ryan anchored in the cab of his truck even after he’d pulled into his parking spot at his own apartment complex. If he could, he would have Ray rub himself over every inch of the inside of the truck so it wouldn’t fade as quickly. Ryan tried to be calm about it but his excitement was hard to push down. The omega’s scent managed to calm him as it filled the small space.

                The drive over was filled with idle chatter and laughter over the antics of their coworkers. Gavin had managed to piss off Michael so bad that he was banished from his mate’s car. Geoff had shown up looking haggard with suspicious bruises on his neck that the crew took turns making up explanations for. The boss silenced the conversation by telling everyone how he had been asking for them. Jack had made fake gagging noises which led to Gavin actually gagging.

                Lunch was enjoyable. Ray was sandwiched in between Ryan and Jack, the two larger men squishing him on purpose while they were waiting for their food. Sometime between Gavin’s gagging fit and leaving for the diner, the two mates had forgiven each other and across the table the Brit was itching to crawl into his alpha’s lap. The food was decent and being beside Ryan was a bonus for Ray. He could feel the beginning of real feelings for the other man and tried to push it away, at least for then. The omega just wanted to enjoy lunch next to his friend.

                The alpha on the other hand, knew he liked the omega from almost the instant they had met. But Ryan wasn’t just an alpha, he was a true southern gentleman and Ray just hadn’t ever seemed interested. He was above his animal instincts and if Ray didn’t want Ryan, he wasn’t going to push. That doesn’t mean that Ryan couldn’t treat Ray nicely, or let the omega leave his scent on most of Ryan’s belongings outside of his apartment. Back at the office, Geoff and Lindsay were catching on to the two men’s situation.

“So Ryan gave Ray a ride home last night,” Geoff said. No one else was around except for the redhead. Even Jeremy, Matt and Kdin were gone.

“Ooo,” Lindsay replied with a smile. “It’s just Ryan looking out for the little omega.”

“Because god forbid something happens to the love of his life,” The old alpha chuckled.

“What?!” Lindsay whipped around to look at her boss.

“Yeah Ryan’s a goner,” Geoff clarified, leaning back in his chair. “They met and I could tell. That man is head over heels.”

“That’s actually hysterical,” Lindsay pondered. “You know Ray came in smelling like Ryan today? Just being in his truck wouldn’t do that. What do you think the chances are that Ray like Ryan and they’re both just idiots.”

“I would say that is 100 percent accurate,” Geoff smirked. “You know what we have to do right?”

“Lock them in the office together?”

“Hell yes.”


	3. The Plan and The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan is executed. The group is pleased with themselves

                After a few hours of plotting and a long email chain later, Lindsay and Geoff managed to get everyone to rush out of the office at once. They held the door shut from the outside. The initial break for the door had caught Ryan’s attention and the final slam of the door had pulled Ray from his editing, pulling off his headphones. The two looked at each other before Ryan went to try opening the door. Eventually he resorted to pounding on it.

“Seriously guys! Let us out!” Ryan shouted, Ray standing behind him half-timid. The alpha was living up to his status, puffing up and snarling.

“Not until you two talk out your feelings!” Lindsay’s voice floated through the door. “We will leave you here all night if we have to.”

“And calm the fuck down Ry or you’re going to scare Ray,” Geoff added and Ryan looked back to see Ray with his arms wrapped around himself, a small whimper escaping under the alpha’s heated gaze. Immediately the larger man calmed.

“Hey I’m sorry Ray,” Ryan apologized. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” the Hispanic sighed heavily. “What are they talking about Ryan?”

“Uhhh,” Ryan rubbed the back on his neck nervously. “We might as well sit down. This could be a while.”

                So both men sat on Ryan’s white couch. Ray fiddled absently, nervous for whatever Ryan was going to say to him. Ryan on the other hand, was nervous about how Ray would take his confession. Neither had realized they were being that obvious if the others in the office had noticed. Of course, they had managed to live in peaceful ignorance until now. Lindsay’s words were echoing in Ryan’s head and something told him that the omega might not have put him as deep in the friendzone as he had thought.

“So?”

“So,” Ryan started with a nervous sigh. “I don’t know how to start this. So, uh, I may have just the tiniest crush... You know... On, well, you.”

“Really?” Ray asked shyly.

Ryan just nodded and without saying anything else, Ray crawled into the alpha’s lap. The older man wrapped his arms around the omega with a big smiled and nosed at his black hair affectionately. The heat and scent that was coming off Ryan was immensely comforting and Ray couldn’t believe he hadn’t gone after Ryan before. Carefully, Ray leaned up to bury his face in Ryan’s neck and inhaled deeply. He could feel himself getting scent drunk after only a couple minutes and the alpha leaned down to kiss and lick his way around the omega’s neck. The larger man wasn’t affected as much by this light scenting but it felt good nonetheless. Both were clinging to each other, scenting happily. Ryan’s large hands were pressed flat against the small of Ray’s back, pulling the boy into himself while Ray’s own arms were coiled around Ryan’s neck. They sat like that for a while until Ryan realized what had happened to Ray.

“Slow down Ray,” Ryan pulled away reluctantly. Ray’s eyes were already glazed over and he was wearing a dopey grin. “God damn it. Here, drink this.”

“What if I don’t want to?” Ray said defiantly, his words slurring.

“Drink it, I still want to talk to you,” Ryan urged gently and Ray did as he asked.


	4. Getting out of the office

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You do not want to know how much furniture they shoved in front of that door.

     The smaller boy chugged the bottle of water and had to sit back from Ryan to try and clear his head from the fog that had settled. The alpha’s scent was still stuck in his nose, not that Ray minded. Ryan on the other hand, had a clear head. He leaned back, lounging comfortably as he kept a watchful eye on the boy on the other end of the couch. Ray waited a few quiet minutes before feeling well enough to speak.

“You’ve been holding out on me Rye-bread,” Ray chuckled.

“Well I am nothing if not a gentleman,” Ryan joked. “ I didn’t think you really liked me so I tried to keep my distance.”

“To be honest, I didn’t really until you gave me that ride home,” Ray admitted. “I guess I had just never really gotten a good sense of what your smell like. We’re always around so many other people that it gets hard to distinguish.”

“It gets easier with age,” Ryan reassured him. “Hell, if it were that easy, I would’ve driven you home the first night you worked here.”

“Aw Ryan,” Ray cooed and climbed back into the alpha’s lap. “Last night, I fell asleep in my hoodie you know.”

“Didn’t it strangle you?” Ryan stared down at the boy in his arms.

“A little,” Ray shrugged and slid his arms around Ryan’s back. “It smelled like you so I didn’t want to take it off. Not that it lasted very long.”

“I can do you one better,” Ryan chuckled and leaned forwards to pull off the sweater he was wearing before draping it over Ray.

“You really are a gentleman,” Ray sighed happily and closed his eyes as he laid against Ryan’s chest.

“You’re going to cramp if you fall asleep here,” Ryan warned. “I could probably get Geoff and Lindsay to let us out.”

“But I’m comfy,” Ray whined. “And I like the privacy.”

“Come on,” Ryan hoisted Ray up into his arms and walked to the door. “Guys, I’m going to take Ray home. Can you open the door please?”

“Start moving furniture boys,” He heard Geoff command from the other side and it was followed by a flurry of scraping noises. Ryan ignored all of his coworkers as he took Ray out to his truck. Gently, he put the boy in the passenger side and walked around to the driver’s.

“Your place or mine?” Ryan asked, looking over at Ray who was curled up comfortably on the seat.

“Mine is closer,” Ray replied, looking at Ryan with sleepy eyes.

“Yours it is then.”

                Since it was still early, the men decided on Netflix and naps in Ray’s living room. It was a relatively clean apartment, especially for Ray. Both men situated themselves on the couch comfortably and turned on some stupid comedy. They only managed to watch the first twenty minutes before Ray stretched up and laid his head on Ryan’s shoulder to inhale his scent. The little omega always seemed to go for the neck. Ryan took this as an invitation to drop his head and press small kisses to the boy’s neck. Timidly, Ray let out a small sound of appreciation.


	5. A Proper Gentleman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan's mother interferes with their night.

                They laid on the couch, scenting lazily for a long time. Ray’s mind was hazy and even Ryan had become a little scent drunk. Somewhere along the line, Ray fell asleep on Ryan’s chest and the older man smiled down softly. The omega woke up to Ryan ordering take out for them. He only caught the end of the call and sat up, rubbing his head and messing up his dark hair.

“Who was that?” Ray asked, grabbing his glasses so he could see.

“Benelli’s,” Ryan replied easily. “I ordered pizza.”

“Could you be any better?” Ray asked with a smile.

“Hey we have to have a talk Ray,” Ryan sat up himself and looked at the omega who immediately tensed up.

“Oh.”

“No, it’s nothing bad,” Ryan tried to reassure him. “I’m just saying, we should figure out where we want to go with this.”

“Mmm,” Ray hummed and begun fidgeting. “Well where do you want this to go?”

“Honestly?” Ryan started. “I’d like it if you agreed to go out with me.”

“Really?”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t mean it Ray.”

                There was a long pause between the two of them. Ray could barely process the alpha’s words and fought to string words together as an answer. Ryan on the other hand, began panicking because Ray had fallen silent. He thought the omega would reject him. The silence stretched until Ray finally did the only thing he could think of since words weren’t coming to him. The smaller boy launched himself at the alpha and pressed their lips together. Ryan returned the kiss happily and wrapped his arms around Ray.

“So can I take that as a yes?” Ryan chuckled once they pulled apart to breathe.

“Hell yes,” Ray answered happily and kissed Ryan again.

“How about we go out on Saturday?” The alpha proposed.

“Where to?”

“You’re going to have to wait and see,” Ryan poked him in the side.

“You’re no fun,” Ray stuck out his tongue.

“That’s what you say now,” Ryan winked, making the younger blush even if no one else was around.

                The two ate their pizza from Ray’s favourite place and laid around some more. Ryan marvelled at Ray’s first person shooter skills as the omega played, leaned up against him. Somehow they’d moved to the floor. Ryan sat with his back against the couch and Ray settled in between his legs, leaning back to rest against the alpha. The older man tried to keep up but was hopelessly underskilled and ended up quitting, settling on watching Ray. The night stretched on and eventually Ryan told Ray that it would be indecent for him to stay the night.

“No it wouldn’t!” The omega protested.

“Be ready for 9, I’m driving you to work,” Ryan said, ignoring Ray’s whining while he shrugged on his jacket.

“But Ryyyyyyyeee,” Ray clung onto the alpha’s back and breathed in deeply.

“Hey, I’m only trying to do the proper thing Ray,” Ryan turned to take the boy into his arms.

“Fuck being proper,” the omega pouted before Ryan leaned in to kiss him goodnight.

“I’m from Georgia, it can’t be helped,” The older man joked and let go of Ray. “Goodnight Ray.”

“Night Rye-bread,” Ray sighed and watched the alpha go. Back inside his apartment, Ray took the blanket Ryan had wrapped them up in and dragged it to his bed. He found a spot Ryan had been laying on and pressed his face into it, falling asleep quickly.


	6. Sugar and Sass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray's neighbors like to scare Ryan. Also donuts because of reasons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's so short but I had to put the old black woman somewhere...

                It had been hard to leave the omega’s apartment. Ryan felt like someone was going to go and steal the boy in the night if he wasn’t there to defend him. Still, his momma would have skinned him if she knew he had stayed over at an omega’s. Nothing could’ve happened but just being there would’ve set the small beta woman off on her son. He was supposed to be a proper southern gentleman and no matter how bad she wanted grandkids, Ryan knew she wanted him to go the proper routes first. On the drive back to his own apartment, he thought about Ray absently. He smiled softly all the way into his place and into bed. Ray was the one, he knew it, but he had to give the boy time. It was when he was thinking about the small Hispanic that Ryan fell off to sleep.

                The next morning, Ryan showered and got dressed quickly. The faster he was out the door the faster he could get to Ray. He grabbed a sweater, locked his door and picked up donuts before heading to the frightening building that the omega lived in. Walking up to the door, Ryan could feel the other residents staring at him with judging eyes. He could hear Ray scrambling behind the door and chuckled until he heard a very loud thump. Ray reassured the alpha that he was fine and to wait a moment through the door.

“Hey,” An old black woman called out to Ryan. “What are you doin’ round here boy?”

“I’m uh, picking up my boyfriend to give him a ride to work,” Ryan replied honestly.

“Mhm,” She looked him up and down. “You be nice to that boy Alpha. He’s one of us.”

“Darla,” Ray whipped open his front door. “He’s really not going to cause any problems. Ryan is a saint.”

“Mhm,” The old woman didn’t offer anything else as she watched Ryan try not to laugh.

“Come on Ray, I brought food,” Ryan threw an arm around the omega’s shoulders.

“Food?!” Ray’s eyes lit up as they walked down to Ryan’s truck. Just like the alpha predicted, Ray had forgotten any kind of jacket so he tossed the extra sweater to the omega. “Are these donuts?”

“Yep,” Ryan grinned as he watched Ray’s jaw drop before he tore into the box. The Hispanic smiled at the alpha, mouth full of donut. Ryan’s heart pounded happily as he stared at the omega eating contentedly. The fact that something so small he’d done had made Ray so happy was beyond satisfying.

                The black truck pulled into the parking lot and the two men walked leisurely into the building. Kara tried to hide her smile as she watched them walk in together. Lindsay had spread the news of what had happened the afternoon before through the whole office and everyone was trying to see how it had gone after they left. It was pretty clear as Ray shyly took Ryan’s hand since everyone was staring at him more than usual. The alpha squeezed gently, trying to reassure the omega who was sinking deeper into the sweater that was easily 3 sizes too big.


	7. Take out and Cuddles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray forgets that utensils exist and Ryan continues being a giant southern teddy bear.

                The other Achievement Hunter employees just smirked but didn’t turn to stare at the two. The feeling they were getting from Ryan only made sure that they wouldn’t make Ray feel any more uncomfortable than the rest of the office already had. The work day progressed slowly and eventually almost everyone went out for lunch except for Ryan and Ray. Ryan had opted to work through lunch and Ray was determined not to let him. When the office was empty, the omega sauntered over and managed to wedge himself between Ryan and the desk so he could curl up on the alpha’s lap.

“Ray,” Ryan said affectionately. “I have work to do.”

“Yeah you don’t have a choice,” Ray replied, grabbing onto the office chair’s armrest in case Ryan tried to push him off.

“God damn it,” Ryan instead, pushed himself away from the desk to wrap his arms around the omega and nuzzle his face into dark hair.

“See, much more enjoyable than work,” Ray smirked and managed to get his arms around the alpha.

“You’re not wrong,” Ryan and Ray ended up sitting there, cuddled up together for a while before Ray settled for letting Ryan work around him. The omega never left the alpha’s lap.

                Little did the men know that Lindsay was hidden just behind the office door, recording with her phone through the crack from the door being ajar. She giggled all the way back to her own desk where she sneakily cut a part of her most recent recording into the next RT Life that she was conveniently editing already. She managed to slip it in between a couple other clips that she figured no one would see until it was up before Miles came to grab her so they could record for RWBY.

                The rest of the Achievement Hunter employees returned and life went back to normal for the rest of the day, everyone unaware of what had happened earlier. Ryan drove Ray home and they ordered in food again, laying together on the couch while they waited. By the time the food came, Ray couldn’t be trusted to get up on his own. He was incredibly scent drunk and the alpha was sure that the smaller boy would fall over without his help. So Ryan got up, paid for the food and set it on the coffee table before going to get plates. When he returned, Ray was already eating out of one of the containers.

“Ray,” the alpha grinned as he watched the boy.

“I’m hungry,” Ray replied before taking a fork from the older man and continuing eating.

“God at least let me steal some before you eat it all!” Ryan laughed and managed to grab some before Ray went back to eating.

                By the end of the night they’d burned through half of the first season of Game of Thrones, emptied multiple cartons of Chinese food, and Ray was currently happily wrapped up in Ryan’s sweater. Ryan left again before he stayed the night but left his sweater with Ray this time. They agreed that Ryan would drop by to get Ray at one the next day for their first date and the omega refused to let Ryan leave without a goodnight kiss. He wrapped his arms around the alpha’s neck and kissed him fiercely. When they pulled apart, Ryan rested his forehead on Ray’s affectionately.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Ryan breathed.

“Yeah okay,” Ray looked a little sad as he replied to the alpha.

“Hey, I’ll be here,” Ryan lifted Ray’s face so he could look the smaller boy in the eyes. “I promise.”

“See you tomorrow Ry,” Ray smiled a little for the alpha’s sake and let him go.


	8. Mother knows best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have so many feels and headcannons about Ryan and his mom it's not even funny. Also feel free to check out my tumblr because I post other random raywood tid bits there (like that one time my car broke down and I had to wait three hours for a tow truck and decided to write to pass the time)
> 
> The URL is RaywoodFever (this fic is also posted there but it's a chapter or two behind)

                Once Ryan had left, Ray immediately crawled into bed and pulled the sweater tightly around himself. For a while, he wondered how he’d managed to have anyone as nice as Ryan. Lots of thoughts, good and bad ran through his mind and kept him awake. The scent of the alpha managed to calm him when he got upset and Ray burrowed under his blankets with the alpha’s hoodie, finally falling asleep while clutching onto it for dear life.

                Ryan knew that something was different that night when he left. Ray had been different. Usually he wasn’t that upset when Ryan said he had to leave and the alpha felt the slightest bit terrible for doing that to the boy. He was such a beautiful, loving and funny omega. All Ryan wanted to do was give Ray the world on a silver platter and he wondered if he was really doing the right thing. A little comfort came from the fact that lots of alphas and omegas move quickly through their relationship. If Ray felt as strongly as Ryan did, they would be mates within a few weeks. Ryan always felt like he was leaving another piece of himself at Ray’s, his head swam and his anxiety worsened when the omega wasn’t around. It was everything his mother had ever told him about finding his true mate. Once safely in his own apartment, Ryan decided to call the woman himself.

“James?” A voice answered on the second ring.

“Hi momma, sorry it’s late,” He apologized sheepishly, forgetting what time it was.

“It’s alright sweetie,” The beta woman’s voice calmed her son instantly. “Any call from you is wonderful. Now what’s bothering you?”

“You know that omega I told you about?” Ryan started, his mother making a humming noise on the other end that meant yes, she did remember. He used to rant about how perfect Ray was all the time. “Well I’ve been sort of courting him and-.”

“JAMES RYAN HAYWOOD,” His mother’s voice boomed now, the information waking her fully. “Why didn’t you tell me? How long has it been?”

“Calm down ma,” Ryan chuckled. “Not long. Only a few days.”

“That’s so sweet dear, I’m happy for you!”

“Thanks momma,” Ryan sat on his bed. “I just had one question. How did you know Dad was the one?”

“Oh James,” His mother cooed. “Well. Honestly, it hurt to be away from him. It hurt even thinking about being away from him, even if it was just for a few hours. Do you really think this boy is the one sweetie?”

“I know he is,” a small smile spread across Ryan’s face as a few tears pricked at his eyes. It was true.

“You’ll have to bring him home for Christmas if you’re not already mated by then,” The woman said simply in her thick southern accent. “But knowing you, you will be.”

“Momma,” Ryan groaned.

“Now I’m going back to bed sweetie but you take things gently with this boy,” She cautioned him. “He sounds lovely. I can’t wait to meet him.”

“Night momma,” Ryan wiped at his face with the back of his hand.

“Night honey.”


	9. A Solid Head and a Dented Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a good thing Ray has a thick skull and Ryan has some limited handyman skills! Had a super fun time at Bilvy aka FakeAHComics' stream tonight!

                The next day Ryan showered, shaved, and did all he could to look his best without looking like he was trying too hard. Of course he wanted to look nice for the date but he didn’t want to intimidate Ray. He tried to calm himself on the way over by playing his favourite music through the truck speakers and it just barely worked. What did calm him somewhat, was the lingering scent of Ray around him. The old black woman was outside and smiled at Ryan as he pulled into the lot. With the black truck parked and locked, Ryan walked nervously up to Ray’s door.

                Ray woke up late but still had enough time to get ready. He just had to forego playing any video games. The Hispanic cleaned himself up and changed into some of the nicer clothes he owned. There weren’t any rips in the jeans and his shirt wasn’t one he’d gotten from work. It was even unwrinkled. Looking in the mirror, Ray chuckled at his own reflection. It had been a long time since he had looked this nice for anyone other than his own family events, and even then it was only on holidays. When the knock sounded on his door, Ray slid so fast around the corner that he slipped and hit the wall. It was loud enough for Ryan to hear.

“Ray?” Ryan called from the other side of the door. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” The other shouted. “Give me a second to find my glasses.”

                Ryan chuckled, sticking his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. Inside, Ray’s fingers finally found the edge of his glasses and he sat up before putting them on. He noticed the dent in the drywall but didn’t have time to deal with it. Instead, he went to open the door and immediately wrapped his arms around Ryan. His head was already starting to ache but the alpha’s scent made him feel safe and warm and just overall _better._ Ryan’s chuckling brought Ray back to the real world where he let go of the alpha and invited him in while he went to get some Advil.

“What happened?” Ryan raised an eyebrow as he followed the omega into his kitchen.

“I slipped on the tile in the hallway,” Ray blushed as he filled a glass with water from the sink.

“You know you broke through the wall right?” Ryan looked down the hallway to see the wall cracked, dented and partially on the floor.

“Did I?” Ray walked over and bent down, rubbing his head.

“Wait you cracked open a wall with your skull?” Ryan was now letting the worry roll off him in waves, melding into his scent and making Ray look up. “Let me see your head.”

“I’m fine Ryan,” Ray stood and tried to reassure the alpha but nevertheless the older man gently grabbed the other’s head.

“Mhm,” Ryan said, not believing the omega. “Well you’re not bleeding.”

“To be honest, I’m more worried about the wall,” Ray joked. “I have no idea how to fix this.”

“I’ll do it for you later,” Ryan angled Ray’s face up so he could look the Hispanic in the eyes and leaned down to kiss him. “You have drywall in your hair.”

“God fucking damn it,” Ray walked into his room to look in the mirror, trying his best to shake all the white dust and debris out of his hair.

“Let me,” Ryan walked in to help and before long, the two were walking out to the truck.

“So where are we going?”


	10. Horror Movies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pfft Alphas don't get scared...

                The two decided since the wall incident had taken up more time than they had anticipated, they would go to the movies first before going out to dinner. Like the true southern gentleman he was, Ryan let Ray pick what they saw. It ended up being something scary. Now, Ray loved scary movies and games but Ryan... The alpha could get a little jumpier than he would ever admit. Despite his anxiousness, they went in, sat down and ordered drinks. They laughed about work and friends while they waited for the movie to actually start.

                Ray sat and enjoyed the first half hour of the movie. The jump scares got him but he managed to laugh it off and go back to watching intently. Ryan on the other hand, sat stone still even through the jump scares. His teeth were gritted and his hand was gripping the armrest so tightly he almost ripped it right off. With one glance up to Ryan, Ray already knew something was wrong. Gently, he pried the alpha’s fingers off the armrest, lifted the thing and wedged himself against Ryan’s side. The older man smiled faintly and wrapped his arm around the boy, Ray’s fingers reaching to tangle with his lazily. Having the omega so close to him made Ryan relax. His smell was comforting and even when the alpha went rigid at a particularly frightening scene, the omega knew how to calm him down again. When the credits rolled, Ryan finally relaxed completely back into his seat only to suffer through one last jump scare.

“Are you okay Ry?” Ray asked quietly once they were out in the parking lot.

“Meh,” The alpha shrugged. “I will be.”

“Aww,” Ray cooed and wrapped his arms around Ryan. “I’m sorry. I won’t make you do that again.”

“Pfft I’m fine,” Ryan lied through his teeth but melted into the omega’s hug. “Come on, let’s get some dinner.”

“Are you sure you’re okay Ryan?” Ray looked at him sceptically.

“Yes Ray,” Ryan chuckled and kissed the boy before opening the passenger door for him.

“Okay,” Ray left it alone after that and they tried to decide exactly _where_  to go get dinner.

                The two ended up in a nicer place, one that Ray didn’t really frequent because he just couldn’t justify spending that much money on food without a good reason. Their first date however, did count as a good reason... Even if he didn’t know Ryan wouldn’t let him pay for anything. Ever. Ryan’s mother raised him to be a gentleman and he’d be damned if he let her down. The hostess took them to a booth and smiled warmly before leaving.

“So how do people do this kind of stuff back in Georgia?” Ray asked once they had settled into their seats.

“Uh well,” Ryan sat back and rolled up his shirt sleeves. “Usually there’s the courting, which would’ve been before this. It’s kind of old fashioned, like a trial run of dating. In a way, it kind of is dating. And then there’s the actual dating. After that there’s usually some kind of proposal and then a little ceremony and then the rest of life I suppose. Not that we have to go _that_ far into those stupid southern traditions.”

“I think it’s kind of romantic actually,” Ray blushed and said the words at almost a whisper but Ryan still heard him. The alpha reached across the table and took Ray’s hands.

“We can do whatever you want Ray,” Ryan smiled widely at the boy. He just blushed harder and tried to hide his face in his hands, making Ryan chuckle more.


	11. The First Night Together, The Last Night Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray gets his way. Also don't forget to check out my tumblr: raywoodfever.tumblr.com because I post my one shots and little previews of chapters coming up there!

                The rest of dinner was more than pleasant. Ray kept Ryan laughing and the alpha took joy in making the other blush as much as possible. The food was better than Ray expected and just as Ryan expected, the omega whined about him paying for everything but he still did it anyways. There was something about providing for an omega that was deeply satisfying. Leaving a generous tip for their waitress, who was nothing but lovely, Ryan led Ray back to his truck and started for the Hispanic’s apartment building. The walk up to Ray’s door in the dark unsettled Ryan all over again.

“Tonight was great,” Ray smiled up at the alpha, swinging their hands happily.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Ryan stepped closer and lowered his head slightly to stare into Ray’s eyes.

“You’re going to spoil me,” the omega laughed.

“That was my intention,” Ryan replied and kissed the man in front of him gently. “Goodnight Ray.”

“Hey Ry,” Ray stopped the older man from leaving just yet. “I know you’re all for being a proper gentleman but I know how much that movie freaked you out. If you want to stay the night here so you’re not by yourself, you totally can.”

“Ray,” Ryan groaned with a small smile. “As much as I would love to-.”

“Ry,” The omega interrupted him and stepped forwards so he was inches away from the other man. “It’s okay to be scared. You don’t have to be the big, strong alpha 24/7 and you don’t have to be perfect. I’m perfectly fine just cuddling up on the couch and watching movies until we fall asleep if you don’t want anything else.”

“Thank god my mother is in Georgia,” Ryan sighed and ran a hand over his face. “She would kill me if she found out.”

“Come on alpha,” Ray took one of his hands and led him back to the door.

                After getting inside, the two grabbed extra blankets and curled up together on the couch. Ryan dragged Ray into his lap and they wrapped themselves up. Ray turned on Aladdin and turned to find Ryan’s nose at his throat. With a smile, the omega tilted his head to give Ryan better access and they scented until even Ryan was heavily drunk off of Ray. The haze cleared faster than he would have liked but when it did, Ray was asleep on him. Carefully, Ryan extracted himself from the blankets and carried Ray to his bedroom. When the omega was tucked in, Ryan started back to the couch only to be stopped by a hand pulling him by the back of his shirt.

“I swear to god Ryan,” Ray was half mumbling but clearly knew what he was saying. “If you try to sleep on the couch, I will be so mad.”

“How mad is so mad?” Ryan asked cheekily.

“Get in the fucking bed dickweed,” Ray demanded and pulled harder, not that he could stand much of a chance against Ryan.

                Either way, the alpha sighed heavily before peeling back the covers and climbing into Ray’s bed. His mind was racing until a pair of thin arms wrapped around him from behind, lazily squeezing to let Ryan know that he wasn’t allowed to leave. Ryan enjoyed it for a few minutes before rolling over and taking Ray into his arms, burying his face in the dark hair and trying to push memories of the movie out of his head. The warmth and scent coming off of both of them was comforting and soon they were both falling asleep.


	12. Pillow Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our favorite boys talk everything out in bed. Here, have a chapter full of some of my headcannons specific to this au :P

                The next morning, the alpha woke up with one dead arm and a massive smile. He smiled down at the omega in his arms and just _knew_ this was what he wanted for the rest of his life. Ryan could do this every day for the next eighty or so years and be happy. Gently, he pulled Ray closer and nosed at Ray’s hair and smiled as the spicy vanilla scent filled his lungs. The omega stirred and clearly tried to go back to sleep, burying his face in Ryan’s chest to try and block out the sunlight that was coming through the blinds.

                Ray happily curled back into Ryan, even if they were both awake. It was a Sunday, and neither man had things to do. So the Hispanic smiled as he felt Ryan beside him. The smoky scent that was so distinctly _Ryan_ was all around him and reinforced the feeling of being safe. He made a note to call Tina later to talk to her and tell her all about the amazing man in his bed. That was another surprise. Ray hadn’t expected Ryan to stay the night but he was glad that he did. The usual southern gentleman had in a weird way, admitted that he had been scared. The big bad alpha had shown Ray one of his weaknesses and the omega couldn’t have been happier.

“Morning,” Ryan’s voice was even deeper than usual.

“Morning,” Ray replied with a massive smile. “You stayed.”

“You asked me to,” the alpha said like it was the most obvious reason in the world. “Last time I left, you seemed really upset and I didn’t want to see you like that again.”

“Being away from you kind of hurts,” Ray admitted. “Thank you.”

“Anytime Ray.”

                Shuffling down, Ryan pressed his lips to Ray’s and lazily the omega wrapped his arms around Ryan’s neck. The two kissed innocently, just happy to be together for a while until Ray rolled on top of the alpha. Ryan’s hands started gripping the other’s hips a little harder and Ray’s nails were beginning to dig into broad shoulders as things got a little more heated. Reluctantly, Ryan pulled away but it didn’t stop the smaller boy. Instead Ray moved to kiss and lick at the other’s neck, moaning lightly at the taste of the man’s skin.

“Ray,” Ryan warned and sat up, bringing the omega with him.

“You’re no fun,” Ray whined but didn’t stop.

“Hey,” Ryan carefully pushed Ray back by the shoulders, making the younger pout. “It wouldn’t be right. We’re not mates yet and I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

“But-,” Ray cut himself off, sitting up straighter and looking Ryan in the eyes. The omega’s thoughts had been flipped on their head from one little word that Ryan had said. “You said yet.”

“I did,” The alpha didn’t bother trying to lie about it. He’d meant every word.

“You really would want me as your mate someday?” The omega’s eyes started tearing up.

“Of course I do Ray,” Despite the boy already being in his lap, Ryan pulled him forwards into a hug. “You’re perfect. I know what you mean when you told me it hurts to be separated but do you know what that means?”

“What?” Ray sniffed lightly.

“It means that you’re meant to be together,” Ryan ran a hand through Ray’s black hair, trying to soothe the boy. “I had to call my mom to make sure I wasn’t having a heart attack or something.”

“Aww,” Ray cooed. “I’m glad. There’s no one else I’d rather have for a mate anyways.”

“Ray,” The alpha chuckled. “You know I’m still going to put you through my romantic southern traditions right?”

“Good,” The omega smiled. “Just don’t take too long, my lease is up in two months.”

“Noted,” Ryan chuckled and pulled Ray so that he could stand up.


	13. Ryan's

                With a squeak from the omega, Ryan carried the boy all the way to the kitchen and set him down on the counter. Raiding the fridge was a success and soon Ryan was cooking them both breakfast. Ray turned on the radio he kept in the kitchen and watched the alpha work his magic around the stove. Soon enough, he was handed a plate of eggs and bacon and began eating happily. Ryan was quite the cook. When Ray had finished and Ryan was on his last piece of bacon, he noticed the omega eyeing it. Taking one last bite, he gave the rest to Ray who was over the moon.

“It’s official, I have the best boyfriend in the world,” Ray munched on the bacon happily as Ryan came to stand in between his knees.

“Well how am I supposed to say no to you when you give me those big puppy eyes?” the alpha was still taller than Ray when the omega was sitting on the counter but the gap was much smaller.

“We could play that pocky game but with bacon,” Ray suggested, giggling to himself.

“I know I’m going to regret this but what on earth is the pocky game?” Ryan sighed.

“Here, put this in between your teeth,” Ray held the last of the bacon up to Ryan’s mouth and the alpha did as he was told.

                Ray took a minute to giggle again at the sight before stretching up. Their lips met in the middle as Ray bit off his side and leaned back to chew and swallow it. Ryan gave him just enough time before pulling the boy back up for another kiss. The two kissed lazily in the kitchen for a while before they each needed to breathe. Since it was a Sunday, they decided to move to the living room and see if there were any multiplayer achievements Ray still needed.

                Ryan decided that he had to go home that night. Ray begged and bargained and pleaded for him not to leave but the alpha wasn’t having it. With one last kiss, he left his pouty omega at the door and walked down to his truck. Both men felt uneasy as the distance between them grew. Ryan had to force himself down the stairs and he nodded tightly to Darla as he passed. Just as his hand touched the handle of the truck, the alpha felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and answered it absently.

“Hello?”

“My chest already hurts Ry,” he heard Ray sniff quietly.

“Oh Ray,” Ryan sighed affectionately and leaned his forehead on the cold metal of the truck door, the pain in his own body coming back up.

“Please come back,” Ray’s voice was tiny and breaking as he asked. “Make it stop.”

“Pack a bag,” Ryan shut the door hastily before they hung up and he fled back to Ray’s apartment.

      He walked straight in to find the omega in his bedroom with an empty duffle bag and a few things on his bed. When Ray turned around, just knowing Ryan would be there, he flung himself into the alpha’s arms and tried to stop shaking. The pain eased as their skin made contact and Ryan hugged the boy to his chest roughly. He inhaled as much of Ray’s scent as his lungs would hold and broke down a little when he felt Ray shaking in his arms. They stood there for a while, just being together before Ray tried to pack his bag again.

     Neither spoke but the omega knew that Ryan had been in as much pain as him. Ryan shuffled around behind Ray as he tried to find things, grabbing onto him any chance he got. It was endearing that Ryan needed Ray just as much as the other needed him. The silence stretched all the way to Ryan’s own apartment, which was in a much nicer building than Ray’s. It was all nice brick and without the bars on the windows. The inside of Ryan’s apartment was just as Ray always thought it would be. Clean and neat yet also a tad cluttered. Books were stacked here and there, the shelves too full to fit more.

“Well here it is,” Ryan shrugged. “There’s not much to it.”

“Wow,” Ray walked in after toeing off his shoes. “This is nice.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Ryan chuckled and wrapped his arms around the omega’s stomach to pull him back against himself. “I have to shower, feel free to raid my video games and food.”

“Will do,” Ray smiled lazily and kissed Ryan before he left to shower.


	14. I love you

                When Ryan came back, Ray was perched in front of the tv with an Xbox controller in hand. With a small smile, the alpha jumped the back of the couch to wedge himself between it and Ray. The omega leaned back into the older man and grinned, enjoying it when Ryan wrapped his arms around him. The alpha started nosing at Ray’s neck and waited for the match to end.

“You know we have to work tomorrow right?” Ryan pointed out just before Ray hit the rematch button.

“Fuck,” Ray turned off the xbox instead. “We should go to bed then right?”

“Mhm,” Ryan muttered, still kissing the omega’s neck.

“Come on Ry,” Ray stood up and turned to look at the now pouting alpha. “The sooner you get up, the sooner we can go to bed.”

“That’s a good point,” Ryan stood and pulled Ray into him by his belt loops before leaning down to kiss the omega.

                Ray sighed happily and wrapped his arms around the alpha’s shoulders. They kissed for a while, enjoying themselves until Ryan pulled away. Silently, he led the smaller man through the apartment and into the bedroom where a few more kisses were shared. Ultimately, Ryan’s southern upbringing put an end to the make out session and the two settled for cuddling up in bed and scenting lazily before falling asleep... Almost.

“Hey Ray?”

“Mmm.”

“You said your lease was up in two months?”

“It is.”

“Good,” Ryan smirked, looking down into the omega’s sleepy brown eyes. “Because I have a feeling you’re not going to be going home very often anymore.”

“I love you.”

                The omega didn’t think about his words, they just happened. He didn’t even realise he’d said them himself. Time stopped in the dark room. Ryan pulled back to look at Ray completely and saw that the omega was serious. Alpha and omega relationships really did seem to happen overnight. Michael and Gavin were mated within two weeks of dating each other. Tons of couples like them moved faster than what should be normal and Ryan never used to believe them. Now he knew it was true because in a few days Ray had fallen in love with him. Being completely honest, Ryan replied.

“I love you too Ray.”


	15. Breakfast

                The next morning Ray woke up on top of Ryan, the alpha still snoring. Carefully, he slid out of Ryan’s arms and tip toed to the bathroom to shower before work. Ryan was awake the minute Ray had left the bed but as his still half asleep brain caught up, he relaxed. The alpha tried going back to sleep but to no avail so instead he got dressed and went to make breakfast. Ray finished up and dressed quickly, eager to get back to his boyfriend and was only half surprised when the bed was empty. Instead he followed the smell of food to find Ryan cooking again.

“I love that you cook,” Ray muttered as he pressed himself into Ryan’s back.

“Good,” Ryan chuckled. “Because I’ve seen you try and it’s not pretty.”

“That was one time!”

“That was the only time,” Ryan pointed out. “Besides, I don’t mind. It feels good to take care of you.”

“Yeah all those dormant instincts are kicking in,” Ray joked and one look from Ryan told him to sit down at the island. “So what’s on the menu?”

“Potatoes and waffles,” Ryan put the potatoes on two plates before handing one to Ray. “What’s wrong with wanting to spoil you anyways?”

“I can’t really pay you back,” Ray pointed out through bites of food.

“You do all the time,” Ryan chuckled. “You pay me back just by being you.”

“Are we in the fucking notebook or something?” Ray raised an eyebrow. “You’re getting all mushy on me.”

“Well if you want to see the mean alpha side of me,” Ryan winked. “I can punch out Joel next time he grabs your butt.”

“He does that as a joke,” Ray scolded. “Don’t punch him.”

                They drove to work together and the day went by without incident. Joel managed to survive punch-free and there were even fewer jokes than usual from his friends. Ryan was dragged off at some point to do some voice acting stuff while Ray was kidnapped by Gavin and partially Michael. The alpha dropped them off at a restaurant for lunch and with one last kiss from Gav, he drove off. Not much was said as they waited for a table. Ray busied himself with texting Ryan and trying to ignore the tightening in his chest. It was kind of painful but he knew he would be safe with Gavin and they weren’t that far away from the building.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a point I thought I should make, all the chapters are divided up depending on the content meaning that they'll probably be varying lengths. I tend to write in short bursts so although the chapters will be short, the story as a whole will be long. I hope you all enjoy it :)


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